As the name applies they dressed in overalls, wrestled barefoot and toted shotguns and moonshine jugs to ringside..

diamondmd wrote (on the KM Forum): I believe the original team started in Ohio with Al Haft in the early 1960s. That was Rip Collins & Chuck Conley. They became so popular that a second team was started with Cousin Slim (Marvin Cheatham) & Cousin Willie (Billy Garrett). The second team was often accompanied by a manager in Cousin Alfred, who also wrestled sometimes. They often mixed and matched the Hillbillies up with Slim teaming with Rip and Chuck teaming with Willie and vice versa. Chuck Conley retired in the late 60s or early 70s after being injured in a car wreck. By that time Billy Garrett was working as one Ken Ramey's Interns with Jim Starr and Slim was working solo as Slim Marlin. Slim then became a manager under the name Beuaregard Van Buren. Alfred retired and moved to North Georgia. In the early 70s, Rip Collins teamed with Vick Nichols to form the last version of the Hillbillies.